Sold!
by Belle Walker
Summary: Surprises abound when Kensi accompanies Nell to the LAPD Annual Bachelor Auction.
1. Chapter 1

"Um, why are we _here?_" NCIS Agent Kensi Blye asked her pixie-sized companion in confusion as they passed a sign bearing the words _LAPD Annual Bachelor Auction_.

"Because it's fun to watch," NCIS Intelligence Analyst Nell Jones answered brightly, pulling the door open and motioning Kensi to enter first. "Besides, it's not like we're actually going to bid on anybody."

"You've done this before?" Kensi surmised.

Nell shrugged. "Once or twice. And I think you're gonna like tonight's lineup," she added mysteriously, picking up two folded auction programs and handing one to her friend.

Doubtful, Kensi opened the program and scanned her eyes over the long list of names she didn't know.

Wait, what?

What the _hell?_

She read it again to be sure.

Nope, no mistake.

There it was printed in black-and-white.

Martin Deeks, Bachelor #14.

Speechless, Kensi looked at Nell.

Devious little Nell, who only grinned back at her with a knowing raise of her eyebrow.

Kensi covered her apprehension with a derisive scoff. "Who's gonna bid on him anyway?"

But she had to admit with a sinking heart that just about every woman in that room probably would.

Marty Deeks waited patiently (well, maybe a smidge impatiently) for his turn on the auction block.

He'd never been auctioned off before…but anything for charity, right?

He was optimistically looking forward to a good evening of nice dinner and fun companionship.

And he was sure to raise that charity pot a considerate sum. Who wouldn't bid on him?

"Sold!" he heard the auctioneer whack the gavel into the wooden podium as Bachelor #13 was given to the highest bidder.

Finally!

He stepped through the slit in the curtain and chose a spot at the center of the stage near the front edge as the auctioneer introduced him and began the bidding.

It took exactly twelve seconds for the bids to go from one hundred to a staggering one thousand dollars.

Loving the attention, Deeks gave a flirty little wave to a few good-looking women down near the front of the stage.

Kensi's heart leapt into her throat and then plummeted to the floor at the realization that her partner — _HER_ partner — was going to go home with someone else tonight.

Never mind that he'd had dates before. This was different. This was a charity auction, and everybody knew how _those_ kind of dates went.

All the rules of dating etiquette were thrown out the window, and the auctionee was obligated to submit to whatever the winner decided on.

And judging by the women in the audience who were just on the verge of openly drooling here, all of tonight's plans included a lot more than merely a simple chaste kiss on the cheek.

There was only one thing Kensi could do.

She _had_ to win him.

And then she was going to _kill_ him for doing this to her!

What was that last bid? _Two-thousand?_

Holy crap!

"Twenty-one fifty!" She hollered above the noise, earning a laugh of amused surprise from Nell.

Deeks' head jerked upward in immediate recognition of that voice. He scanned the crowd, and it only took a second or two to pick out Kensi's face.

She looked…what? Pissed? Panicked?

"Twenty-two hundred!" Nell impishly threw her own hat into the ring, knowing she wasn't in danger of winning and actually having to pay for it.

And Kensi turned a murderous glare on her.

"What? It's for charity, right?" the smaller girl shrugged, grinning unapologetically.

Well, so much for their friendship.

"Twenty-_three_ hundred!" Kensi upped the bid determinedly.

From the stage, Deeks' gaze remained on her, and he couldn't help the thoughts that sprang to his mind.

Was she really willing to sacrifice over two thousand dollars for her own partner whom she got for free every day?

Apparently so.

Score a zillion points for their 'thing'.

And as the other women shouted their bids, Deeks found himself silently prodding his partner to out-bid every single one.

Even if all he got out of the evening now was a punch on the shoulder, it would still be so worth it just knowing how much she was willing to _pay_ to spend time with him!

Now a new thought entered his mind. He should have known that his exotic dancing skills would come in handy again one day…

Grinning cheek-to-cheek and his still gaze locked firmly on his partner's face in the crowd, Deeks' fingers rose to the top button of his shirt and flicked it open.

Then the second button.

A hot flush crept up Kensi's neck as she realized what he was doing.

Forget murdering _him_ — because _she_ was going to have a heart attack right here on this floor!

Kensi futilely fanned herself with the paper auction program still clutched in her hand.

Last button now open, Deeks started to slide his shirt off provocatively as the crowd of women screamed in anticipation.

But then Deeks unexpectedly threw Kensi a wink, slid his shirt back on, and buttoned it up again…much to the loud disappointment of the bidders and silent relief of his partner.

"Three thousand dollars!" Kensi shouted over the uproar, desperate now to keep him out of their clutches.

"Three thousand!" the auctioneer pounced on that immediately. "Do I hear thirty-five hundred?"

"_Four thousand!"_ So focused on her need to win, the words were out of Kensi's mouth before she even thought about what she was saying.

"You do realize you just upped your own bid?" Nell squeaked out.

"Must be his girlfriend out there bidding on him," the auctioneer quipped into his microphone.

Laughter rippled through the crowd, but after the 'girlfriend' comment there weren't any further bids. What was the point of spending that much for a guy who already had someone special?

"Alright, four thousand going once…going twice... _Sold!_"

Yes! She'd won!

And then she realized exactly what she'd done.

She'd essentially thrown away four thousand dollars.

For _Deeks_.

Idiot!

He was never going to let her live this one down!

The auctioneer said cheerfully, "By far, the highest bid of the night, folks. Take a bow, Marty."

Oh god… Kensi covered her eyes with her hand in self-imposed shame of having fed a generous serving to Deeks' already bursting ego.

"Are you insane?!" Nell laughed heartily, her face a mixture of horror and hilarity.

"You bid on him, too!" Kensi tried to defend herself.

"As a joke!" Nell exclaimed. "_You're_ the one who _kept_ bidding!"

Kensi felt sick. Where was a hole to swallow you up when you needed one?

Nell's gaze flicked past Kensi and she pressed her lips together and raised an eyebrow to indicate someone approaching.

Kensi turned around slowly, almost mortified to even look at him.

But the expression on Deeks' face was not what she'd expected.

He wasn't gloating.

He wasn't smirking.

He wasn't even grinning.

He just stood there with his fingertips poked into his front pockets and a look of curiosity on his face.

"What?" Kensi challenged with a lift of her chin, ready to deflect whatever comments he was sure to have.

Deeks simply gave her a cute smile. "Really? Four thousand dollars?"

She shrugged a shoulder, feigning nonchalance. "It's for charity, right?"

But Marty Deeks wasn't fooled. He knew it wasn't just because of charity. It ran much deeper than that, with her.

And now he was officially her date for the rest of the evening.

Plenty of time to uncover her true motives.


	2. Chapter 2

**Alright, you guys. Persistence pays off. Here's chapter 2.**

* * *

This was all Nell's fault.

And now her partner was expecting a nice romantic evening for two.

And she had _nothing_.

"Okay, here's the thing," Kensi began remorsefully, feeling like the biggest heel on the face of the planet. "I came here tonight with Nell on a whim. It was a spur-of-the-moment thing, and I don't have _anything_ planned."

Deeks gave a little tilt of his head, masking his disappointment. "Something spontaneous, then?"

"I'm really sorry, Deeks," she apologized sincerely, her eyes begging his forgiveness.

He forgave her easily, as he always did. "Aww, don't be. You can both be my dates tonight…whaddya say?"

But Nell bowed out of the proposed trio instantly. "Oh, I just remembered I have that…thing…I promised somebody I'd do tonight," she fibbed, stepping away with backward steps. "You two go, have fun!"

And she disappeared in the crowd before anyone could protest.

Deeks turned his eyes back to Kensi. "And then there were two."

This was a nightmare. She wanted to pinch herself to wake up.

"Let's do something we've never done together before."

"Deeks, I am _not_ going skinny-dipping with you."

"Yeah, you're right," he agreed deadpan. "We'll save that for the second date."

"_Deeks…_" Kensi pronounced in a clipped tone, reminding him that his flirting was once again getting in the way of their coming to a solution.

"Alright, I have an idea. We'll get some pizza…and then we can go back to my place," he finished with a suggestive grin.

Kensi was not the least bit amused. "Try again."

"Okay, I'm serious about this one."

"I'm listening."

"We'll get some _beer_ and pizza…and watch the sunset on the beach."

Kensi just looked at him. "The sunset?" That sounded so…terribly lame. "Really?"

Deeks heard the obvious disdain in her voice and he honestly felt quite slighted by it.

It was her fault he was standing here in the first place — couldn't she yield to him just a little bit?

"Or I could just give you a full refund right now and find myself a different date for the evening," he suggested stiffly, all humor gone from his demeanor.

"No!" Kensi objected firmly. "Please. That would just make me feel even worse."

"Then make up your mind, sunshine. What do you want to do?"

She was being utterly selfish and she knew it. Ashamed, she offered, "How about some beer and pizza…and we watch the sunset on the beach?"

Deeks smiled at her yielding. "Now you're talking."

They headed for the exit but one of the auction volunteers waylaid them.

"Not so fast, missy. You haven't paid for your 'purchase' yet. Four thousand dollars, I believe your winning bid was."

Payment. Right. Could this evening possibly get any more uncomfortable?

She opened her wallet…but she had less than fifty dollars cash on her, and her checkbook was lost somewhere in her apartment.

Allowing a sheepish smile, she pulled out a credit card. "Do you take Visa?"

Thankfully they did. She paid, collected her receipt, and got the hell-outta-Dodge just as fast as she could steer Deeks through the door.

"Ooh — I know you like it rough, but ease up, huh?" he needled her about the crushing grip she had on his bicep.

"Sorry." She released his arm and gave it a brief rub of atonement.

Since Kensi had ridden there with Nell and didn't have her own car, she followed Deeks to his in the parking lot behind the building.

They left together in silence, but Deeks broke it with a sudden chuckle.

"What?" Kensi questioned.

"Oh, I was just thinking…" he turned his head to give her a teasing grin. "I can't wait to tell Callen and Sam how much you spent on me tonight."

Her heart skipped a beat at the implied threat. "Deeks, _please_ don't tell them!"

He strung her along. "What — really? You honestly expect me _not_ to tell the guys about this?"

"_Deeks!"_

She looked and sounded genuinely desperate there. Well, her reputation _was_ on the line…

"Alright," he reluctantly agreed. "Pinky-promise." And he held his shortest finger out toward her.

It was such a silly, childish gesture that it made her smile. She linked her pinky with his to seal the bargain.

"Can I at least tell them that you bought me?" Deeks persisted. "No dollar amount mentioned at all?"

Kensi sighed, biting back a mirthful smirk. "If you must."

"Thank you!"

Deeks was quiet again, but not for long.

He gave her a studied gaze as he drove, his eyes glancing back to the road once. "Just on the off-chance that it's okay to ask…why _did_ you bid on me at the bachelor auction?"

"I don't know," Kensi answered softly. It was hard to look him in the eye, as his intuitive gaze made her feel far too exposed.

She focused her eyes out the front windshield to avoid that eerie feeling. "Maybe I just…got a little scared of…losing it."

He didn't understand. "Losing what?"

"Our thing," she answered, finally looking straight at him. "Seeing you up there getting auctioned off caught me off-guard. I guess I just…panicked a little."

Deeks raised both eyebrows at her, an incredulous laugh filling his throat. "A _little?"_

"Shut up," Kensi sulked, turning away and looking out her side window.

"Oh, Fern…" Deeks patted her shoulder placatingly (and just a tad patronizingly). "We're a long way off from losing our 'thing'. Trust me on that."

Kensi rolled her eyes, but was secretly glad to hear that their 'thing' wasn't in any kind of apparent jeopardy after all.

"You good?" her partner asked, just to make absolute sure.

"I'm good. You?"

"I am faaaan-tastic," he drawled out with a grin, finally pulling the car into a mini-mart parking lot.

First order of business on their 'date' was to grab a cold six-pack of beer. Kensi tried to pay for it but Deeks wouldn't accept it.

"Nope, I've got it. You already paid four grand for the sunset. The least I can do is cover dinner and drinks."

Next, they went to pick up a hot pizza.

"One large…everything on it," Deeks said to the guy behind the counter.

"No anchovies," Kensi interjected firmly.

"No anchovies," Deeks echoed. "Half anchovies?" he attempted to negotiate with Kensi. But at her look, he confirmed, "No anchovies."

The pizza guy rang it up and took the cash Deeks handed him. "Name?" he asked boredly, poised to write it on the receipt.

"Rumplestiltskin," Deeks answered smoothly, earning a quiet scoff from Kensi.

The pizza dude gave him an odd glance but wrote the name down anyway.

Kensi held the pizza box on her lap for the drive to the beach, and it smelled so good that she snuck a tiny piece of sausage out of the box and popped it into her mouth.

"That better be your half that you're already eating off of," Deeks commented evenly.

"Mmm…definitely _your_ half," Kensi played along.

Deeks parked his car on the pavement and from the trunk pulled the larger of the two blankets he kept for emergency use.

Box of pizza in one hand and case of beer in the other, Kensi followed him to a good-looking spot in the sand far away from the few other people still on the beach.

They spread the blanket and sat down for their picnic dinner, tossing a few uneaten pizza crusts for the seagulls to enjoy.

There was still plenty of time until the sun began to set, so they both kicked off their shoes and took a barefoot stroll along the wet edge of the rolling surf.

Deeks bent down and scooped up a handful of moist sand, casually packing it into a ball shape with his hands as they walked.

Kensi thought nothing of it until she noticed he was several steps behind her suddenly, and she turned around just in time to receive a splat of wet sand to the front of her shirt.

She looked down at her soiled clothing and then back up at her partner who stood there grinning his biggest Cheshire-Cat grin.

Then she bent to collect a handful of her own ammo.

"Oh, crap." Deeks backed up a few steps before turning to sprint away.

Kensi's clump of sand hit him in the back and he abruptly stopped to reload.

Like two kids, they threw sand-balls at each other until they were both half-covered with grit and laughing so hard that they could barely stand anymore.

The beer and the pizza combined with the active sand war took a sudden toll on her stomach and she dropped to her knees in the sand, sitting back on her heels and catching her breath.

Maybe she was a teeny bit drunk — she'd had two beers with her pizza — but she hadn't felt quite this free and high-spirited in a very long time.

She was glad she'd made that bid on her partner tonight…although if that ever happened again, she was definitely setting herself an absolute limit of one hundred dollars and not a single penny more.

Deeks stood in front of her, hands on his hips, looking down at her in amusement. "Ready to watch the show, starfish?"

Oh, yeah…the sunset. She'd almost forgotten.

Kensi grabbed Deeks' offered hand and rose to her feet, brushing vainly at the sand on her clothes and giving up when most of it seemed content to stay.

She sat in the middle of the square blanket they'd laid out earlier, tucking one leg under and bending her other knee to about chin-level.

Deeks took his customary spot beside her, crossing his legs Indian-style.

As the sun went down it quickly got chilly.

"I'm grabbing another blanket," Deeks stated as he jumped to his feet. "Pause the sunset for me!" he called over his shoulder.

He shook the folds out and draped one side over Kensi's back and the other side across his own.

It wasn't exactly a large blanket, and it barely stretched around the two of them as they sat side-by-side on the bigger one in the sand.

Kensi sat awkwardly, stiff and shivering until her need for real warmth finally made her banish the respectable distance she had attempted to keep between their bodies.

She cuddled closer, molding herself against his side and pulling the front of the blanket closed tighter.

Deeks grinned widely but made no comment. This was far too good to spoil with verbal teasing.

He only moved the arm that she hugged, sliding it up over her shoulders under the blanket.

And she slipped her own arm comfortably behind his back, resting her cheek at the front of his shoulder like she'd done a few times before when they went undercover posing as a couple.

The pair watched in complete silence as the sun's beautiful splendor dipped slowly into the ocean's horizon, painting light and colors across the shore of the beach and the sky.

"I think maybe that sunset really was worth four grand," Kensi whispered to her companion.

The enchantment in her voice drew Deeks' gaze to her face at the same time that Kensi looked up at him to see if he agreed with her assessment.

A bit startled to realize just how close they were, all they could do for a moment was stare at each other in the rising moonlight.

It seemed only natural for him to kiss her.

So he did.

And to his complete surprise, she actually let him. She even returned it, briefly.

Kensi shivered, and not just from the cold. She inhaled a deep breath and let it out, her eyes still fixed on her partner's face.

"This _was_ a good idea," she voiced softly.

Deeks smiled back, pleased that she was happy. "I told you."

He pulled the blanket tighter around them both, reveling in their closeness. "So…what do you want to do now?"

Kensi considered that. "Let's watch the stars come out."

"Alright."

They laid back together in the sand on the bigger blanket, arranging the smaller one to cover them better.

"Deeks?" Kensi whispered again after a few seconds, turning her head to face him.

"Yeah?"

"Thank you…for tonight. This is the best date I've ever had."

He turned his head to look back at her. "Really?"

She nodded.

He smiled. "Me, too."


	3. Chapter 3

Her bed felt gritty.

And smelled like sand.

And sounded like the ocean.

Why was it so cold?

And why was a seagull screeching in her ear?

Kensi squinted one eye open in the brightening sunrise, then both eyes opened wide as she realized her surroundings.

They'd spent the whole night on the beach!

Still fully clothed from the evening before, she jumped up from the blankets and her partner's oh-so-comfortable embrace and searched the sand hurriedly for her shoes.

She found them and shoved her feet inside, then threw Deeks' discarded shoes at his still snoozing form.

"Oww!" he mumbled a sleepy complaint.

"Wake up, Deeks!" Kensi hissed impatiently. "It's morning already!"

As if it was their own personal nature's alarm clock, the seagull squawked at them once more before gliding off down the beach.

Deeks rolled onto his back and looked up at Kensi with a lazy grin. "Hey…wanna watch the sunrise together too?"

Well, duh — of course she _wanted_ to.

But the sun had already risen for that morning and was shining brightly as if to mock them with the fact that time was quickly passing them by!

"Deeks, we are going to be _late_ if you don't _get up!"_

"Boy, are _you_ cranky in the mornings," he grumbled good-naturedly, sitting up and putting on his shoes.

_God, he looked sexy in that morning sun,_ Kensi thought to herself appreciatively, pausing in her motions to gather their stuff together.

Deeks caught her checking him out. "I saw that!"

Kensi blushed, quickly turning away. "You saw _nothing_."

"Oh, I definitely saw _something_," he teased ruthlessly. "Face it, Kens…you could've had me last night. Too late now."

She scoffed at him. "With you, it's _never_ too late."

"True," Deeks conceded with a nod.

He finally dragged himself to his feet and collected their empty pizza box and beer bottles while Kensi shook sand out of the blankets and folded them haphazardly.

Deeks dropped her off at her own apartment and she flew into the shower, and she made it to work just minutes before he did and thankfully still with time to spare.

"So, how did the auction go?" Special Agent Sam Hanna asked the second Deeks strode in.

"And what auction is that?" Deeks evaded smoothly, dropping his messenger bag on his desk.

Sam gave him a look. "You're kiddin', right? You join a bachelor auction and actually believe that we _wouldn't_ find out about it?"

Deeks immediately looked over at his partner. "Couldn't even hold it in for ten minutes, huh?"

"I didn't tell them a thing!" Kensi hotly denied, fearful herself of just how much they knew now that _she_ knew that they knew. She'd assumed that they didn't know anything when they failed to pounce on her at the first opportunity.

"It wasn't Kensi," Callen backed her up honestly. "It was Nell."

"Of course it was," Deeks answered simply.

_Nell. Of course. Small person, big mouth,_ Kensi thought discourteously.

"So?" Callen prodded. "Did anybody _actually_ bid on you?"

Deeks was mildly offended by that. "Well, if you must know…I got a generous bid from my partner," he began obscurely. "…who happens to be very big on…charity," he added as an excuse for her benefit.

Kensi guessed she couldn't blame him for wanting to brag on being 'bought' by his partner — she probably would boast a little too, in his place.

And she threw him a begging look to _please_ keep his promise not to tell just how _much_ she'd stupidly given on his behalf.

"Yeah? What was the winning bid?" Sam wanted to know. "Ten bucks?"

"I say five," Callen refuted.

But Deeks shared a long, indulgent look with his partner, their eyes communicating what words could not.

"Guys…a gentleman never tells."

_He just earned a steak and lobster dinner,_ Kensi decided silently, rewarding him with a sweet smile. _And _he's_ gonna have to treat _me_ to it because I have a stupid credit card to pay off._

"Good morning, all." Operations Manager Hetty Lange approached their desks with her hands folded behind her back as she was accustomed to doing.

The four agents returned the greeting.

"Mr. Deeks."

The warning tone in Hetty's voice made him nervous, and with good reason.

"I don't approve of undercover officers being auctioned off to the public," his boss reprimanded sternly. "With that said…congratulations on raising four thousand dollars for the LAPD's charity pot."

Kensi's jaw dropped in utter disbelief that her boss had just done that to her. "Wha—?"

So much for keeping her dignity intact!

Callen and Sam were both agog with shock.

"You bid _four grand?"_ Callen exclaimed. "On _Deeks? !_"

Kensi gave the older woman's retreating back a resentful look. "Thanks a lot, Hetty," she grumbled quietly through clenched teeth.

"I heard that, Ms. Blye."

* * *

**This is the end. Thanks for reading and reviewing!**


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